Electric switch



,6. D. HASKINS.

ELECTRIC swncn.

(Application flied lul y 27, 1901.)

Pa'tem'eu Mar. n, I902.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-$haaf I.

Wiimessbs; Invnt. or.

Carnal D. Has-kins.

WAZJ/ M.

m: NORFGS ws-rzas co., aucngmmu. WASHINGTON. u. c.

No. 695,l50.

2 Sheets-Shad 2.

filly Modal.)

Inventor.

Fig.6.

Caryl D. Haskms.

. I fHi cg.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARYL D. HASKINS, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC. SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,150, dated March 1 1, '1 902.

Application filed \Tuly 27, 1901. Serial No. 69,943. (No model.)

i To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OARYL D. HASKINS, a citizen of the United States, residingat Schem ectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, (Case No. 2,232,) of which the following is a specification. 7

This invention relates to electricswitches or other devices for opening and closing circuits of high potential, the object being to provide a switch of simple construction which will facilitate the handling ofheavy currents of high voltage.

In carrying out the invention I provide for breaking the current under oil or other insulating fluid, the essential feature of my invention being the storage of pressure on the oil before circuit-rupture and provision for permitting a flow of oil under pressure across the separating contacts. By these means the are is extinguished by the chilling action of the oil and by its high resistance and by the bodily movement of the oil carrying the are products away from the vicinity of the electrodes and but a small quantity of oil is required to handle currents of great energy. I provide a closed casing in which is an oilchamber containing an oil-bath, beneath the surface of which the circuit-terminals are adapted to meet to close the circuit. The

chamber is provided with a considerable air- I space, and the movable electrode is so contrived that in opening the circuit the oil is subjected to pressure by a compression of the air in the free space. One of the terminals is made hollow, with openings by which after a certain amount of movement a tubular exit is provided for the oil, which is driven across the separating contact-faces into the tube, carrying with it such are products as are developed by the break.

The invention embodies various features of novelty which will'be hereinafter more particularly described, and will be definitely indicated in the claims appended to this specification. 4

In the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate the invent-ion, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of aswitch embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a detail View of one of the electrode-contacts. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the arrangement of the ports leading from the oil-well to the movable electrode.

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of a socketcontact, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a switch embodying my improvements mounted on a supporting-board.

The switch embodies an oil-well l, of castiron or other strong metal, provided with screw-plugs 2 3, permitting the Well to be charged with or emptied of oil. It may, if desired, be enameled on the inside with in sulating material or lined with any suitable insulating material-such, for example, as fiber. Such provision, however, is only necessary for currents of very high potential.

It is provided with'a cover 4, fastened down by bolts, as indicated, and. packed at the joints, so as to provide an air-tight seal. On the bottom of the Well rests a tubular guide 5, of insulating materialas, for example, a heavy ring of porcelain-the bottom of which is grooved, as indicated, to permit free circulation of the oil. This guide is provided with lateral ducts on its upper end, as indicated at 6 in Fig. 3, to afford a passage for the oil to the electrode-contacts. On top of this insulator rests a socket-terminal, formed of a ring of metal sawed into segments, as indicated in Fig. 5, and grooved on the periphery to accommodate a helical ring-spring 7, the spring serving to clamp the sections in elastic engagement. On top of the sectional ring bears a copper disk 8, to which is riveted a metal terminal adapted for connection with one of the circuit-leads, as indicated in Fig. 1. The top of 'the disk is provided with springs 9 for producing afirm elastic contact I between'the ring-terminal and the split-ring o socket. The inner diameter of the ringtermi'nal is larger than that of the socket to accommodate entrance of the movable electrode. The ring-contacts are held firmly in position byablock of porcelain 10, clamped in place by the cover and bearing against the lower porcelain ring 5.

Soft packing of suitable character, such as asbestos, may be placed at theends ofthe insulating-column, formed by the two pieces 10, to prevent fracture. The porcelain block. is centrally bored to accommodate a metal tube 1 l,'which moves througha stu fling-bo in the cover, as indicated,- and to the lower end of which is fastened a block of insulziting material 12, to which/is screwed fast a copper tube 13, which :tforms one terminalflof the circuit, being connected therein by a flexiblelead 1e. This tubular terminal'is larger in diameter than the inside ofthe ring-socket when collapsechand inblosing the. circuit an sion of the ring-spring Land thus effecting a 3 upper beveled tip is forced intothe ringsocket, separating its sections against the tengood'hard contact, An elevation of the'tubu lar contactis seen inFig'. 2. Its upper end is provided with an irregular or notched edge to '18 under pressure of the arc in an opening movement of the switch and permitting rapid movement of oil across the separating contacts. The switch may be operated by a handle119, connected by links with the movable electrode, and in closing the switch an oper' ation of the handle raises the movable electrode 13, separates the segments of the socket,

and brings the indented top above the lower face of said socket, thereby cutting off communication between the tube 11 and the oilwell.

A. cushion in g-spring 20,held between a fixed collar21, f astened to the tube 1-l,and carrying atits free end a movable collar, prevents a violent blow of the movable electrode against the bottom of the oihwell when the switch I ;opens,the movable collar Pl? engaging the top of the stuffing-box.

to equalize the pressure when the circuit is closed. As thus organized when the circuit is opened a preliminary movement of the imovable'electrode stores pressure in the aira chamber, causing'a movement ofthe oil the instant the indented tip of the movable elec illtldfl passes below the ring-contact, thereby promoting a cooling of the contact parts and when the are draws stretching the latter by the movementof the oil, which carries the are products across the radial openings 15 up into the tubei l. The oil-vapor generated augments the pressure, so that a stream of rapidly-moving oil is forced into the tube and Y the accumulated pressure raises the valve sure is immediately relieved. time the electrodes have been separating and the are has been extinguished. The long until the port 18 is. cleared, when the pres- During this arc.

v The air-chamber is provided with an inwardly-opening valve 22 9 I I v 7 i 695,150

tube liLprcvonts spattering of the oil while permitting its movement to extinguish the The invention is applicable to other types of circuit-breaking'devices, such as circuitbreakers or other instruments, at the separatingcontactsof which arcs may be formed. An important incident of my construction is the small volume of oil needed relativelytoother switches of the oil type. This follows from the movement to which the oil is subjected. It is desirable to have the smallest possible quantity of combustible material in an electric station, and my organization admirably effects such a result.

, Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A high-potential switch comprising a closed chamber containing an insulating liquid, a movable electrode, means for subjecting the liquid topressure preliminary to the separation of the electrodes, and means for leading the liquid across the electrode-contacts when they part. i

air-tight vessel containing an insulating liquid and an air-space, ineans for compressing the air during separation of the contacts, a tubular electrode communicating with an exhaust-duct, and means for leading the oil' across the contact-faces of the electrodes in opening the circuit.

4-. A high-potential switch comprising an air-tight vessel partially filled with oil, an exhaust-duct communicating with the atmo phere, and means for inducing .a flow of oil into said exhaust-duct acrd'ss the contactfaces of the electrodes when the circuit is opened.

5. A-high potenti'al switch comprising an air-tight oil-tank partially filled with oil, a fixed ring-contact beneath the surface of the oil, a movable electrode engaging said contact adapted to put the oil under pressure in an opening movement, and exhaust-ducts leading from the electrodes put into communication with the oil during such opening movement. 6. A high-potential switch comprising an airtight tank, an insulating-column between its cover and bottom, a contact-ring beneath the oil-surface secured thereto, and a movable contact adapted to put the oil under pressure in opening movement and drive the oil across the separating contact-faces.

7. A high-potential switch comprising an air-tight tank partially filled with oil, an exhaust-duct communicating with the atmosphere, electrodes beneath the oil-surface, the electrodes having their point of engagement submerged in the 0i1,-the duet being so arranged as to carry oil across the contactfaees, a valve in the air-chan1her to equalize the pressure, and means for compressing the i 

